Romaldo Giurgola facts for kids

Romaldo "Aldo" Giurgola AO (2 September 1920 – 16 May 2016) was a famous Italian and Australian architect, professor, and writer. He was born in Rome, Italy, in 1920. After serving in the Italian army during World War II, he studied architecture at the Sapienza University of Rome. He finished his architecture degree with honors in 1949.

In the same year, he moved to the United States. He earned a master's degree in architecture from Columbia University. In 1954, Giurgola started teaching architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. A few years later, in 1958, he started his own architecture firm, Mitchell/Giurgola Architects, with Ehrman B. Mitchell in Philadelphia.

In 1966, Giurgola became the head of the Columbia University School of Architecture and Planning in New York City. He opened a second office for his firm there. In 1980, his firm won a big international contest. They were chosen to design a new parliament building for Australia. Giurgola then moved to Canberra, Australia, to work on this huge project. The Parliament House was finished and opened in 1988. In 1989, it won the top award for public architecture in Australia.

About Romaldo Giurgola

Romaldo Giurgola was a respected professor at several universities. He taught at Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania. Later, he became the head of the Architecture Department at Columbia University in 1966. He was known for his teaching and his ideas about architecture.

His Architectural Style

Giurgola's firm, Mitchell/Giurgola, designed many important buildings. One of their first big projects was the Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center in 1957. This building became famous for a few reasons. It was one of the first visitor centers for national parks that became its own special type of building.

Its design fit the excitement of the time about aviation, flight, and space travel. Giurgola believed in designing buildings that respected their location and purpose. He didn't like simply putting abstract shapes onto a site. He thought buildings should connect with their surroundings.

In Philadelphia, Giurgola worked closely with another famous architect, Louis Kahn. They shared similar ideas about design. In 1961, a critic called Giurgola, Kahn, and others "The Philadelphia School." This group of architects had similar ways of thinking about how buildings should be designed. Giurgola even wrote several books about Kahn's work and ideas.

Building Australia's Parliament House

In 1980, Romaldo Giurgola was asked to be a judge for a big international competition. This contest was to choose the design for the new Parliament House in Canberra, Australia. Instead of judging, he decided to enter the competition himself.

He won the competition! After winning, Giurgola moved to Australia to lead the building project. He became an Australian citizen in January 2000. The Parliament House is one of Australia's most important buildings. It is known for its unique design, which blends into the landscape.

Other Notable Projects

Giurgola designed many other buildings around the world. In 1989, his design for the St Thomas Aquinas Church in Charnwood, Australian Capital Territory won an award. In 2004, his addition to St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta in Australia won him Australia's highest architectural award.

Awards and Recognition

Romaldo Giurgola received many honors for his work.

• In 1982, he won the AIA Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects. This is a very high award for architects in the United States.
• In 1988, he received the RAIA Gold Medal from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects.
• In 1989, he was made an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia. This award became official when he became an Australian citizen in 2000.
• In 2001, he was given the Australian Centenary Medal. This was for his important work as the main architect of the new Parliament House.
• In 2004, his work on St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta won him the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Buildings. He had first won this award in 1989 for the Parliament House.

Giurgola lived in Canberra, Australia, from the 1980s. He even built his own house near Lake Bathurst. A painting of Romaldo Giurgola, made by artist Mandy Martin, is now in the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.

Images for kids

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  Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center (1958–60), Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

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  Penn Mutual Tower (1971–75), opposite Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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  Liberty Bell Center (1974–75, demolished 2006), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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  Parliament House (1981–88), Canberra, Australia.

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  St Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church, Charnwood, Australian Capital Territory (1989) north side and entrance doors

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  St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia (2003 addition, right).

See also

In Spanish: Romaldo Giurgola para niños